These Army Exoskeletons Make Soldiers Shoot Straighter

Ready for part-robocop? The U.S. Army is developing an exoskeleton that fits over an arm to ensure that the wearer's gunshots are dead-on accurate.

The Mobile Arm Exoskeleton for Firearm Aim Stabilization (MAXFAS) is an intricate system involving cables and sensors to survey movement and release the wearer's arm "like a marionette," writes Popular Science. Gyroscopes, accelerometers and sensors are used to judge the arm's movements to determine the direction of the gunshot.

A device like that sounds heavy, but it's built using carbon fiber to keep the weight down to just 10 ounces. For now, the device isn't mobile because it requires a large frame to maintain the balance, but the hope is that future versions will be built with lightweight motors so they could be used in the field.

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